We interviewed Riet Goetschalckx, sales director for Oceania Cruises in continental Europe, the Middle East and Africa, based in Belgium.
Interview from CruisesNews magazine no. 65 – June 2023
She joined the company 13 years ago as Oceania Cruises' first team member in Europe. She currently works with her team to support and develop the markets she manages, each with its own unique needs, languages, currencies, and backgrounds. In her free time, she enjoys food and drink, and of course, being Belgian, she loves chocolate any time of day.
Thirteen years in Oceania now, what has changed at the company during this time? What has been the evolution?
I would say a lot. When I started, we were just a team of three people in EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa), with prices only in US dollars and just a head office in Miami. Now we have a global presence with offices in Miami, Southampton (UK), and Sydney (Australia), plus business development team members all over the world, including Asia and Latin America.
How important is the Spanish market for Oceania Cruises?
Spain is maturing as a cruise market. For years it has been dominated by mass-market lines with larger ships. However, in recent years there has been an increase in demand for a more boutique cruise experience.
We are well positioned to serve a high-end Spanish traveler.
We work closely with a number of key travel agents in Spain who had noticed this shift in the market. At Oceania Cruises, we pride ourselves on offering expertly curated travel experiences and incredible cuisine on small, luxurious ships. We are well-positioned to serve the discerning Spanish traveler.
They've just launched a new ship, Oceania Vista. What are the main new features?
Oceania Vista, in short, represents Oceania Cruises' vision for the future. It accommodates 1,200 guests served by 800 crew members, which equates to two crew members for every three guests. There are 11 culinary spaces on board, three of which are new concepts: The Bakery at Baristas, serving delicious fresh pastries and baked goods throughout the day; Aquamar Kitchen, offering wellness cuisine; and Ember, serving top-tier American classics.
The ship boasts the most spacious standard cabins at sea: over 27 square meters; eight bars, lounges and entertainment spaces; a beautiful spa with an outdoor terrace; a mixology bar serving incredible cocktails; and a completely revamped entertainment program headlined by Broadway-caliber shows.
This year marks the company's 20th anniversary. Is it proving to be a good year for Oceania?
This is a great year for us! We're celebrating 20 years at sea; the launch of our first ship in 11 years, the beautiful Vista, which was christened in Malta in early May by renowned Italian-American chef Giada De Laurentiis; and Frank Del Rio Jr. is now the Chairman of the Oceania Cruises brand. In addition, we have a number of excellent new offers and opportunities for our travel agents.
Oceania Cruises has twice been awarded the Excellence Award for best cuisine, most recently this year. Why do you think Oceania stands out so much in this area, even more than other cruise brands within the holding company?
We are recognized for serving “The Finest Cuisine at Sea®,” but this is not just a slogan; it is a mantra around which we have built the business. Food is the foundation of everything we do on board each of our ships and worldwide, in the destinations we visit.
Our 1,200-passenger ships Marina and Riviera were designed by food lovers for food lovers and feature the first culinary school at sea—a feature we've further developed with Vista and Allura. Our 650-guest ships Nautica, Sirena, Regatta, and Insignia offer a selection of our specialty restaurants, as well as the fine dining options in the main restaurant in the Grand Dining Room. For guests seeking a more exclusive experience, Oceania Cruises offers private dining experiences such as Privée and La Reserve, which feature carefully curated wine pairings for the most discerning foodies on board. As the only truly food-loving ships in the world, we have more kitchen space and fresh food storage than any other cruise line.
We also have the highest percentage of culinary staff dedicated to the dining experience. To ensure the impeccable quality of every dish, we have one chef for every ten guests; in fact, half of our onboard crew is dedicated to cooking or serving food.
As with any great restaurant, all dishes are prepared to order, using only the freshest ingredients. This attention to detail is what makes our food stand out. For example, we use custom-milled French flour, ground to our exact specifications, to bake our croissants, and our butter has over 80% butterfat. It's these two ingredients that guarantee our croissants are the finest you'll ever taste, land or sea.
In terms of itineraries, destinations, and excursions, what can you highlight?
Unforgettable travel experiences aboard small ships calling at over 600 boutique ports in Europe, Alaska, Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, New England-Canada, Bermuda, the Caribbean, the Panama Canal, Tahiti, and the South Pacific, in addition to epic 180-day round-the-world voyages.
We have the highest percentage of culinary staff dedicated to the dining experience: half of our onboard crew is dedicated to cooking or serving food.
We offer guests unique opportunities through our shore excursions to fully immerse themselves in the diverse cultures of the world through reliable and trustworthy sources. We not only showcase some of the most captivating sights and landmarks in each port of call, but we also provide travelers with the chance to forge personal connections and gain a much deeper understanding of local cultures and ways of life—something not possible on traditional shore excursions.
While our Beyond Blueprint tours offer an exclusive, in-depth, and behind-the-scenes look at some of the world’s most iconic architectural landmarks, our guests are also invited to immerse themselves in the fabric of local communities on our Go Local tours. They can shop for fresh ingredients with Master Chefs at local markets on our exclusive Culinary Discovery Tours™ and engage with residents and businesses to learn how they are working to conserve and maintain the environment around them on Go Green Tours. They can also discover fascinating healthy living cultures on Wellness Discovery Tours by Aquamar. Simply put, Oceania Cruises offers inspiring travel opportunities for every palate.
Tell us about the Oceania Next program. What remains to be completed?
We pride ourselves on ensuring that all our ships look as fresh and welcoming as when they were first launched. The Oceania Riviera is the most recent ship to be refurbished. We have consistently invested in creative ways to evolve our onboard experience through our OceaniaNEXT initiative. With the launch of a series of new product enhancements across our luxury fleet, including new dining experiences and enhanced menus, we are reinventing entire ships. Our goal is to elevate every facet of the Oceania Cruises guest experience so that when guests return, it feels even better than before.
We pride ourselves on ensuring that all our ships look as fresh and welcoming as when they were first launched.
What are Oceania's next business goals?
We have an exciting new offering to be announced next month to make the Oceania Cruises experience simpler and more inclusive for guests and travel agents. Of course, we also have the launch of Vista's sister ship, Allura, scheduled for spring 2025, so plans for its debut are underway.
And finally, on a professional but also personal level, what are your main goals?
Professionally, my goal is to expand awareness of Oceania Cruises and the cruise vacation experience in general among travel agents and potential guests. Cruises are truly the best way to explore the world: seeing multiple destinations in a single trip, unpacking only once, and enjoying the sights, sounds, and, of course, flavors of the world aboard a beautiful and elegant ship.
On a personal level, I just want to stay healthy, happy, positive, and energetic!
